Shuford and Badillo Come Up Big as Baseball Salvages Final Game of Barton Series with 5-2 Win

MISENHEIMER, NC - A three-run double in the seventh inning by senior outfielder Carlos Badillo Monday afternoon helped host Pfeiffer University break a 2-2 tie and claim a 5-2 Conference Carolinas baseball victory over Barton. Pfeiffer, which had lost both games to Barton on Sunday, improved to 3-5 overall and 1-2 in league play. The Falcons are home with Catawba at 2 p.m. Tuesday. Barton is 2-1 both overall and in the conference and entertains UNC Pembroke at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Nixon Field.

Sophomore Pfeiffer right-hander Eric Shuford shut down the Bulldogs for six innings as his team built a 2-0 lead. He yielded just one hit over six innings. Pfeiffer plated lone runs in the second and fourth innings. Shortstop Preston Lyon led off the second with a double, went to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch by Barton junior left-hander Patrick Sherrill. In the Pfeiffer fourth, second baseman Josh Strickland singled, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Lyon (3-for-4).

The Bulldogs tied the score at 2-2 in the top of the seventh on a single by third baseman Braxton Lewis, a double by left fielder Ryan Daughtry, an RBI groundout by shortstop Chris Rawlings and a dropped fly ball off the bat of Matt Willis, who was later thrown out at the plate while trying to score the go-ahead run off a Wes Francis single.

Sherrill, who allowed but four hits over the first six innings, gave up a leadoff double to Lyon in the seventh. With two outs, he walked two batters, and then Badillo rapped the game-winning double into left-center field.

Senior right-hander Andrew Oliver slammed the door on the Bulldogs in relief, striking out three while retiring all six batters he faced in the final two innings.

Pfeiffer finished with six runs on five hits. Badillo was 2-for-3 with 3RBI. Barton notched four hits, with Francis leading the way at 2-for-4.Shuford scattered four hits, allowed two runs (one earned) over seven innings. He fanned four and walked one. Sherrill went 6 2/3 innings, giving up five runs on six hits. He struck out four and walked three. Barton senior John Anderson retired all four batters he faced in relief of Sherrill.